ED conducts searches at Congress nominee Vivek’s house and office

ED searches ex-MP G. Vivekanand's premises in Hyderabad over alleged Rs. 8 cr transaction. Complaint filed by BRS candidate from Chennur, Balka Suman.

Officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday conducted searches at the office and residential premises of former MP and Congress candidate from Chennur Assembly constituency Dr. Gaddam Vivekanand in Hyderabad.

Sources said a team of ED officials first visited the residence of Dr. Vivek, as he is known, and searched the premises. Simultaneously, searches were also conducted in the office of another company in Ramagundam of Peddapalli district.

It was pointed out that the searches are apparently carried following a complaint filed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidate from Chennur, Balka Suman, about an alleged transfer of Rs. Eight crore from Visaka Industries, owned by the family of Dr. Vivek, to a security management company sometime ago. A complaint to the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), a copy of which is with The Hindu, mentions a suspected transaction Rs. Eight crore from Basheerbagh branch of IDBI to a company in Ramagundam. Mr. Balka Suman alleged in the complaint that the money was transferred to Vigilance Securities Private Limited.

The BRS nominee had raised doubts that the money apparently was being converted into cash for distribution to the voters during the elections. He hard urged the ED and the Income Tax officials to order and inquiry into the alleged financial transaction.

Sources close to the Congress leader told The Hindu that the ED searches pertain to this particular transaction only. “The searches we believe are in connection with the said transaction based on a complaint by BRS candidate from Chennur, Balka Suman,” sources said.

Former MP from Peddapalli Dr. Gaddam Vivekanand has been the target of the ruling BJP and the BRS ever since he parted ways with the BJP at the beginning of the month to join the Congress.

He is contesting the State Assembly elections 2023 on Congress ticket from Chennur constituency in Mancherial district, once represented by his elder brother G. Vinod. His brother is now the Congress nominee from Bellampally SC constituency.